New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) clarified the items and norms of assistance from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) in the backdrop of coronavirus pandemic.
MHA has laid down the norms of assistance and measures for quarantine, sample collection, screening, procurement of essential equipments for response to COVID-19.
The measures for quarantine, sample collection and screening include, "provision for temporary accommodation, food, clothing, medical care etc for people affected and sheltered in quarantine camps (other than home quarantine) or for cluster containment operations. Cost of consumables for sample collection. Support for checking, screening and contact tracing."
According to the Norms of Assistance, "As per actual expenditure and as per the assessment of need by State Executive Committee (SEC) to ensure the effective containment of outbreak for a period of up to 30 days. The SEC will decide the number of quarantine camps, their duration and the number of persons in such camps. This period can be extended by the SEC beyond the prescribed limit subject to the condition that expenditure on this account should not exceed 25 percent of SDRF allocation for the year. Medical care may also be provided from National Health Mission (NHM)."
For the purpose of the procurement of essential equipments and setting up additional testing laboratories, "the expenditure is to be incurred from SDRF only as assessed by the SEC to strengthen the surveillance and control measures against COVID-19 virus outbreak."
There is also a provision for the cost of personal equipment for healthcare, municipal, police and fire authorities and the cost of thermal scanners, ventilators, air purifiers and consumables for government hospitals.